With the advent of an industrial society, people are exposed to noise pollution at greater and greater levels; both from background, such as street traffic, airplanes, construction sites and intentional exposure to high sound levels such as cell phones, MP3 players, and rock concerts. Studies show that ear damage, leading to permanent hearing impairment is not only increasing in the general population, but increasing at a significantly faster rate in younger populations.
The potential for hearing damage is a function of both the level and the duration of exposure to the sound stimulus. Studies have also indicated that hearing damage is a cumulative phenomenon. Although hearing damage due to industrial or background noise exposure is more thoroughly understood, the risk of exposing one's self to excessive noise, especially with the use of headphones has also been recently studied. Protecting the ear from ambient noise is primarily done with the use of static earplugs that attempt to shield the inner ear from excessively high decibel noise.
Devices have been developed over the years to reduce sound from entering the ear canal. These devices known as earpieces, typically fit into the ear or around the ear. For example, headphones, earbuds, behind the ear earpieces, hearing aids, headsets and other devices attenuate sound from the ambient environment and direct acoustic energy to the tympanic membrane of the ear. People typically do not have knowledge of the cumulative sound levels that they receive on a daily basis. Moreover, both short term and long term noise exposure can be a health risk. Accordingly, a system that overcomes the shortcomings in the related art would be useful.